Chenille Body Fly Tied by Bob Haase

Hook: Mustad #3366 #10 or Equivalent : 140 Denier or 6/0 Body: Chenille Tail: Hackle Hackle: Any Neck Hackle or other appropriate .

This is an easy fly to tie for someone just getting started in fly tying. It is a nice fly for youth fly tying programs or other beginning fly tying programs. Another nice thing about this fly is that bluegills really like this fly. It is a wet fly, which means that it will slowly sink below the surface. It can be modified in a number of different ways. You can weight the fly with a few wraps of lead or lead free wire or add a wire rib. You can also use a variety of different . The fly pictured was tied by wrapping a hen saddle patch rather than a neck hackle and you can also use body feathers or other feathers to create more of a soft hackle. If you don't fly cast, you can tie this behind a spinning float and fish it with a spinning rod & reel.

Step 1 - Start the thread and wrap it back to the bend of the hook. Take a piece of hackle or other appropriate feather and tie in the tail as shown.

Step 2 - Tie in a piece of chenille and advance the thread toward the eye of the hook and stop about 1/8" to 3/16" before the eye of the hook.

Step 3 - Wrap the chenille around the hook and stop where you have the thread tied off, leaving enough space to tie in and wrap the feather without crowding the eye.

Step 4 - A number of different kinds of feathers can be used to wrap around the hook to create the effect of legs. Prepare the feather by cutting the feather at the point where the hackle is the length that you want it and then strip back the hackle as shown. You can use neck hackle, hen saddle patches, or even pheasant body feathers.

Step 5 - Tie in the feather as shown.

Step 6 - Wrap the feather around the hook just in front of the chenille. If you are using a softer feather rather than a dry fly hackle, you may need to brush the feather with your fingers to separate the fibers as you wrap the feather. Make approximately two complete wraps with the feather and tie off. Wrap the thread to form a head as shown and whip finish or use a series of half hitches.

Note: This fly can be fished with a fly rod, or you can also tie this fly behind a spinning float and fished with a spinning rod and reel. I mention this, because many kids do not have fly rods. Kids can tie this fly, tie it behinds a spinning float with their spinning rod, and go out and catch bluegills on the fly that they have tied.